The service industry continues to grow as technology advances and as service providers and staff become more technologically savvy. Similarly, as customers of the service industry become more accustomed to technology, expectations increase for more efficient and easy service. In the restaurant service industry, in particular, there have been moderate technological advances. There are still many areas, however, that have not changed significantly over time. One area of the restaurant service industry that continues to frustrate and inconvenience customers and staff alike is closing out and paying the check.
Generally, when a customer has finished dining or having drinks, the customer must get the attention of the waiter. The waiter must then go to a work station to close out and print the customer's check. Once the check is brought back, the customer must then select a form of payment and again wait on the waiter to collect the check and payment. The waiter will then need to return to the work station and complete the sale transaction. In most cases, the waiter must then return to the customer to provide change, a receipt, and/or to return a credit or debit card. Often, when payments are made by credit card, the customer subsequently adds a gratuity on the printed receipt. Some customers do not like for the waiter to see the gratuity amount before the customer has left the restaurant, but often the waiter will return and collect the receipt before the customer has left.
The entire check closing and payment process can take a very long time. An otherwise pleasant dining and service experience may be tarnished due to delaying the customer's ability to pay and leave when they are ready. The delay may often be out of the waiter's control, for example if there are other waiters lining up to use the work station. Additionally, the waiter must make several trips back and forth to the customer to complete the transaction, all the while the customer is waiting.
Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for facilitating closing and payment of a check that avoid the above, and other, drawbacks associated with the current art.